Temporal Segregation between Dung-Inhabiting Beetle and Fly Species

Abstract

The coexistence of ecologically similar species (i.e. species utilizing the same resource) is a major topic in ecology. Communities are assembled either through the biotic interactions of ecologically similar species, e.g. competition, or by the abiotic separation of species along gradients of environmental conditions. Here, we investigated the temporal segregation, succession and seasonality of dung-inhabiting Coleoptera and Diptera that utilize an identical resource in exactly the same way. The data were collected from two temperate pastures, one in the United Kingdom and the second in the Czech Republic. There was no evident temporal separation between ecologically similar coleopterous or dipterous taxa during succession. In contrast, these two orders were almost perfectly separated seasonally in both combined and site-specific datasets. Flies were most abundant in the summer, and beetles were more abundant in the spring and autumn. Ecologically similar beetles and flies also displayed seasonal separation in both combined and site-specific data. Analyses within site-specific data sets revealed such a separation at both the order and species level. Season is therefore the main temporal axis separating ecologically similar species of dung-inhabiting insects in temperate habitats, while succession aggregates species that may have similar environmental tolerances (to e.g. dung moisture). This separation between ecologically similar taxa of beetles and flies may be attributable to either competition-based niche separation or to temperature tolerance-based habitat filtering, since flies have peak activity in warmer months while beetles have peak activity in cooler months.

Phenological Patterns and Seasonal Segregation of Coprophilous Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea and Hydrophilidae) on a Cattle Farm in SE-Michigan, United States Throughout the Year

“…In the current study, the phenological niche of Sphaeridium was quite narrow ranging only from the second part of May until July (Figure 5). This timing coincides with the peak occurrence of their Dipteran prey species (Sladecek et al, 2017). The evidence from both parts of this study indicates that the temporal organization of both succession and phenology in Sphaeridium optimizes prey access for their larvae.…”

“…In contrast to Sphaeridium, small Hydrophilidae dwellers of the genera Cercyon and Cryptopleurum were regularly found in older dung (Wassmer, 2020) and their phenological patterns (clusters 1, 3 and 5, Figures 5, 6, 8) were distinctly different from Sphaeridium (cluster 2, Figures 5, 7) and did not coincide with the peak distribution of coprophilous Diptera (Sladecek et al, 2017). These small dwellers are more than 20 times smaller than Sphaeridium and therefore need much less of much smaller prey and as they stay longer in dung pats, they are less dependent on rapidly developing prey species.…”

Stable Flies, Stomoxys calcitrans L. (Diptera: Muscidae), Improve Offspring Fitness by Avoiding Oviposition Substrates With Competitors or Parasites

“…Gravid females S. calcitrans use vertebrate herbivore dung for oviposition (Baleba et al, 2019), as well as rotting plant material, such as silage, hay, grass clippings, and garden compost (Cook et al, 2018). Decaying plant-based material is also an important ecological niche for other invertebrate species (Sladecek et al, 2017) such as the house fly, Musca domestica (Linneaus) (Broce and Haas, 1999) and the mite Macrocheles muscaedomesticae (Scopoli) (Jalil and Rodriguez, 1970). Similar to S. calcitrans, gravid females of M. domestica seek manure, decaying vegetation and compost for egg deposition (Machtinger et al, 2014).…”

Dung inhabiting insects, their diversity, abundance and bio ecology of coprine beetles

“…dung moisture). This separation between ecologically similar taxa of beetles and flies may be attributable to either competition-based niche separation or to temperature tolerance-based habitat filtering, since flies have peak activity in warmer months while beetles have peak activity in cooler months [25] . Many groups of predatory mites have also evolved a specialised habitat association with mammalian dung.…”